The front of my refigerator is full of Fortune Cookie saying that have yet to come true. “You will enjoy financial success.” “You will spend your old age in comfort and material wealth.” Since these have yet to happen, they are still enjoyable if you append “in bed” to them, at least for a laugh.

But, I did get one fortune cookie that honestly changed my life, which read “Practice Saying Yes.” (in bed…hahhaaa) I didn’t think much of it at the time, but over the next few hours, I realized that I had been saying “no” to quite a few skiing/adventure offers because of the usual circumstances – job, money, obligations, a sense of responsibility, no time, etc.. With the fortune cookie in mind, I started saying “yes” to offers of adventure/skiing, whether they were as simple as going on an early morning Dawn Patrol or as complex as a month-long trip to foreign lands. I’ve had a few bad experiences, but by far-and-away, it was the most influential fortune-cookie I’ve ever opened. One thing leads to another, and before you know it, you are wondering what you were thinking by turning down all of these incredible opportunities.

“This is not my beautiful house, this is not my beautiful wife. How did I get here? ” By saying “yes” to a thousand smaller trips. Standing on top of Mt. Hunter, AK with Denali in the background moments before skiing down.

Life continues on whether or not you accept these offers, and as as Woody Allen said “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” If you are interested in packing in more skiing in, saying “yes” is a great place to start.

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thanks for such great info Apostle. my experiences with Utards and Coloradicals both have been mysterious at times. knowing how to gauge risk taking in partners, and as you said, especially in male mountaineering partners is a tricky, often silent thing and you put a great light on how to make it easier. how to bring such topics up, have the courage to do so, etc.